Chapter 444: Raven Hill

Monday, February 13th, Evening

In her bedroom, like a child, she lay across her bed. Next to her sat an old plastic shoebox filled with pictures, and many were scattered around her. A large number of these photographs were over twenty years old. Slowly, she would look them over, one at a time.

"What are you looking at?" Nathan asked as he walked, more properly limped, into the bedroom drying his hair.

"Some old pictures," Haley said.

"I can see that," Nathan said, "Old pictures of what?"

"I don't know; they are so mixed up, the boys mostly," Haley said.

Nathan put the towel on a chair and climbed on the bed next to Haley. He got closer and snuggled up to her. "Let me see," Nathan said.

"Are you sure, with your knee and all?" Haley asked.

"It'll be fine, Hales," Nathan said.

Haley let a tense, pensive smile break out as she held up a picture for Nathan to see. It was Haley, with James standing next to her and Brian in a stroller. Both boys were in Halloween Costumes. "Look at how small the boys were," she said.

Nathan nodded, "Halloween in Detroit, right?" Nathan asked.

Haley nodded, "Yeah, I was taking them to the studio. Remember, I was working on that one track, and I happened to mention it would be Halloween soon, and I was taking the boys out. They said bring the boys around, and I did," Haley said and chuckled, "Amazing how much the boys were in the studio."

Nathan nodded as Haley showed him another print. Nathan took in the image. "Is that right after?" he asked.

"Yes, right after you jumped into the stands and kissed me. You hugged the boys, and I took the picture," Haley said.

"Wow, I don't remember any of this," Nathan said.

Haley nodded, "It's like blink, and you miss it," she said.

"We were so young back then," Nathan said.

"Hard to believe both those boys are now dads," Haley said.

"So, long ago," Nathan whispered, knowing three of the children from one of those boys were currently sleeping under his roof.

"Yeah, we were that young, once," Haley said.

Nathan shook his head, "I don't remember being that young," she said.

"We were," Haley said, "Once."

Haley shifted to show Nathan another print. They both studied the casual candied picture.

"Our last Christmas in LA?" Nathan asked.

Haley nodded, "Yes, we were thinking about your next contract, and I was just glad you were home for Christmas," she said.

"That was a special Christmas," Nathan said and kissed Haley on the temple.

"I remember James kept wanting to head over to Sierra," Haley laughed, "Boys."

"Hard to believe a year later he would only be six months away from being married and a dad," Nathan said.

"Hard to believe," Haley said and changed the print they were looking at. This time it was James and Sierra as two sixteen-year-olds at Disneyland. They both wore mouse-ear hats; Sierra's had a pink and polka-dot bow on it to indicate it was a set of Minnie Ears compared to James's Mickey Ears.

"Wow! We still have that picture," Nathan said.

Haley nodded, "I'm surprised too," she said.

"Well, we all have a past," Nathan said.

"Remember why he stopped wanting to be called Jamie?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, he hated how Sierra said it," Haley said.

"I thought it was cute," Nathan said.

"It drove him crazy," Haley said, "And I believe there were tensions with her family."

"Yeah, well, next picture," Nathan said.

Haley pulled out another print. It showed Nathan on crutches, Haley pregnant with LK, James, and Brian in Tree Hill High School Basketball uniforms, and Ashlyn on her own set of crutches.

"The championship game, James's senior year," Nathan said.

"Yeah, two relationships were born that night," Haley said.

"I think that's an overstatement," Nathan said.

"Okay, maybe one solidified and one born?" Haley asked.

"I remember the starts on the bench got the crowd rapping, and the coach sent them back out," Nathan said.

"Remember what James did?" Haley asked.

"He stole my move," Nathan said.

Haley laughed, "I wouldn't say stole, more along the lines of paying homage to," she said.

"He stole it," Nathan said, trying to be serious, but couldn't hide a proud dad smile, "Next."

Haley found another picture. It showed Brian sitting in a hospital chair, a small bundle that is now fifteen-year-old LK in his arms.

"The first day she was out of the NICU," Nathan said.

Haley smiled, "That was a great day," she said.

"Brian looks so clueless in that picture," Nathan said.

"Hard to believe he has four kids," Haley said, "Possibly five."

Nathan nodded.

"Sorry, Nate," Haley said, "It's D plus two."

"It's okay, always been and always will be stressful," Nathan said.

"Well, we'll know Wednesday," Haley said.

"It will either end," Nathan said.

"Or begin again," Haley said.

"Next picture," Nathan said.

Haley selected a picture, and they looked at it. It was a picture of James, Ashlyn, Brett, and Nathan. Haley smiled and looked at the seven-year-old Brett. Nathan smiled like the proud dad he is.

"James's first home game in the NBA," Nathan said.

"I don't know who was prouder, you, James, or Ashlyn," Haley said.

"James busted his ass to get there," Nathan said.

"Even though he won't have your career?" Haley asked.

"James has had a respectful career, and well, I'm proud of him," Nathan said.

Haley changed the print. The one she selected was taken on the stage of Club TRIC and showed Brian and Kat playing acoustic guitars. Haley shook her head and tried for another print. The first print in Haley's hand was stuck to another picture. She pulled them apart. The second print was folded in half; she opened it. The image was of one of the few times Brian also played guitar. Kat and Brian were looking at each other, smiling, and enjoying themselves. It was set on a festival stage during the day. Haley flipped each picture over; the folded image had written on the back in Kat's handwriting, First time England. The other one had on the back in Brian's handwriting, Last time it mattered.

"What pictures are those?" Nathan asked.

"They were Brian's," Haley said.

"How did we end up with them?" Nathan asked.

"My guess is they were in with some of the kid's stuff," Haley said, deadpan.

"What are they of?" Nathan asked.

Haley showed Nathan the folded picture. "This was the first time Mental Lapse played in England," she said.

Nathan looked at the picture and nodded. "The other one?" he asked.

Haley showed the print to Nathan and nodded, "That's Kat and Brian doing an acoustical set at TRIC," she said.

"The significance?" Nathan asked.

"According to Brian, it was the last time it mattered," Haley said.

Nathan nodded, leaned over, and kissed Haley. "We'll be fine; we should get some sleep," he said.

Haley nodded and started to clean up the pictures.